A coffee shop owner said that he wanted to solve hangovers rather than serve them when he addressed a council licensing panel hearing.
Fika director Elliott Chandler-Gordon, 41, made the comments as he set out the case for a drinks licence at the business’s new premises, in Victoria Grove, Second Avenue, Hove.
Two neighbours objected to the application so it went before a panel made up of three members of Brighton and Hove City Council – Julie Cattell, Paul Nann and Alison Thomson.
At the hearing this morning (Friday 22 November), Mr Chandler-Gordon said that Fika had no plans to create an alcohol-led venue at the former art gallery site.
The proposed licensed hours would be from 9am to 9pm daily, with the business opening from 7am.
Mr Chandler-Gordon agreed draft licensing conditions with Sussex Police which would require customers to be seated and served drinks at their table.
Neither of the neighbours who objected to the application attended the hearing but their written comments raised concerns about a second venue serving alcohol in the road.
Mr Chandler-Gordon said that he had contacted both neighbours and invited them to discuss their concerns but they did not respond.
He said: “Our approach to the business was never to open somewhere there would be disruption to the neighbourhood.
“We just want somewhere where people can come after work, have a coffee and have an alcoholic drink available. Rather than being a bar that serves coffee, it’s the other way around.”
Fika has a smaller coffee shop in Norton Road, Hove, which the three councillors said they knew well. They asked about the differences between the two sites.
Mr Chandler-Gordon said that the Norton Road venue was quite small while the new site was a more relaxed space with sofas where people can use laptops and have time for themselves.
He said that the Swedish term Fika meant to take time out, have coffee and meet friends.
Councillor Thomson asked about the neighbours’ noise concerns.
Mr Chandler-Gordon said that there may be more noise in the summer but staff and management would control the volume of music, and the venue would close by 9pm.
He added: “We don’t want to become a heavy drinking site. That’s not within our approach. That doesn’t benefit us at all.
